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Joe And Daryl In Battle To Finish Top Of Division Two ChartsSunday, September 24th, 2017

Worcestershire skipper Joe Leach and Daryl Mitchell are strongly placed in the battle to finish as the leading wicket-taker and run-scorer respectively in Division Two of the Specsavers County Championship.

All-rounder Leach goes into the final match of the season in pole position on 63 wickets at an average of 20.25 with four five-wicket hauls.

He is in front of Gloucestershire’s Liam Norwell – 59 wickets at 17.38 – and Sussex’s Jofra Archer – 58 at 24.37.

Mitchell is lying in second spot in the batting charts with 1138 runs at 51.72 with six centuries and three fifties.

The 33-year-old was overtaken during the County’s week without any action by Sussex’s Luke Wells who has totalled 1143 at 63.50 with three centuries and five fifties.

Opta stats show that Mitchell has scored 222 of his 1,138 runs from cut shots this season and that no other player has scored more than 166 (Alastair Cook) via this method in either division.

Ben Cox looks set to finish runners-up in the list of most dismissals by wicket-keepers in Division Two in 2017.

Cox has 40 Championship victims – 39 caught and one stumped – with only the retiring Chris Read of Nottinghamshire (50) ahead of him.

The former Bromsgrove School pupil is six ahead of third placed Chris Cooke of Glamorgan.

Leach, Mitchell and Cox typifiy the team ethic which has played a major role in Worcestershire’s success in the competition but all three can also be proud of their individual achievements.